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It seems that the repercussions of the Russian military invasion in Ukraine are beginning to affect Libya, which is facing sharp tensions influenced by external powers. The parties involved in the first conflict (Libya) are the same in the second crisis (Ukraine); Moscow, Washington, and the European Union.

Signs of conflict appeared when Russia renewed its endeavor to end the tasks of the UN mission in Tripoli, a few weeks before the start of the discussion about extending its term and appointing a new head for it. Russia also stressed its refusal to empower veteran American diplomat Stephanie Williams and prevent her from obtaining international legitimacy beyond her mission as Special Adviser to the Secretary-General of the United Nations in Libya.

Moscow rejects the hegemony of the American and British sides on the UN mission. Russia also prevented the appointment of the American diplomat, Richard Wilcox, who was working on the National Security Council at the White House, which has further complicated the situation for Washington and its allies who seek to consolidate their influence in Libya.

Actually, the crisis between the three parties in Libya was born since the first spark of the Libyan revolution, which led to the assassination of President Muammar Gaddafi. It reached its maximum extent last November and December when Moscow sought to allow supporters of the former regime to run in the elections, including the presidential elections, and forces loyal to it secured the exit of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi from his hiding place to present his candidacy file in front of television cameras in the city of Sabha, the capital of the southern region. The thing that angered Washington, which pressed for the postponement of the elections so as not to see Muammar Gaddafi return in the image of his son to power.

With the beginning of the Russian invasion in Ukraine, it was clear that there was a fierce confrontation between Moscow and Western countries over the situation in Libya, especially with Dabaibas quest to gain the satisfaction of the United States. Therefore, when the Libyan House of Representatives, on the first of last March, granted confidence to the stable government headed by Fathi Bashagha, Russia was the only country that welcomed it and confirmed that it was ready to cooperate with it, to move forward with a comprehensive political settlement in Libya.

The recent war of rumors was aimed at shuffling the cards in Libya and dividing it again according to foreign alliances by presenting the West as Washingtons ally and the East as Russias ally. And what is described as political Islam that dominates the western region knows how to exploit the Russian-Ukrainian conflict within the contexts of historical and ideological revenge with Moscow, dating back to the first war in Afghanistan and the Chechen wars, to the war in Syria and the Russians relations with the House of Representatives and the Libyan army forces, passing through Moscows positions on political Islam. All of these wars confirm that the Islamists consider themselves part of the Western alliance, and they believe that Moscow was against their project, contrary to what Washington and London have shown in terms of broad support for them.

Because of the seriousness of the energy file in the Ukrainian crisis and its negative repercussions on the European side, Washington has tried for weeks to calm the atmosphere between the Dabaiba government and the National Oil Corporation. This is where the relations between the two parties are going through an unprecedented crisis, which made the Minister of Oil and Gas, Mohamed Aoun, call on Dabaiba to restructure the current board of directors of the National Oil Corporation, because the current board was formed in violation of the laws and legislation established for the corporation and regulating its work, according to his estimation. Of course, Washington hoped that this step would contribute to reducing Europes dependence on Russian gas and shift to Libyan gas.

Thus, the Libyans will have to have a share in the flames of the elders conflict, and until there is calm there, the situation in Ukraine will cast a shadow over the Libyan crisis, and its continuation will lead to a further deepening of the gap between the parties to the conflict inside Libya.

Dr. Hatem Sadek: Professor at Helwan University

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Opinion| The repercussions of the Ukrainian crisis on Libya - Daily News Egypt

The Libyan national team has refused to face Israeli opponents at the World Fencing Championships in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in solidarity with the Palestinian cause.

The national team was to face Israel according to the official draw, however, the athletes and staff decided to pull out on Sunday from the final competition rather than face the Israeli team.

Libya is currently ranked second in Africa and 19 globally in the classification of the game.

"The national team was to face Israel according to the official draw. However, the athletes and staff decided to pull out of the games rather than face the Israeli opponent,"Libya Observerwrote on its website.

The move comes afterEyas Al-Zamer,a Jordanian fencer, was set to take part in the junior men's foil contests of the international professional championship for young competitors in the UAE but decided to withdraw, one week after another Kuwaiti fencing player pulled out of the competition for the same reason.

Kuwaiti fencing playerMohammad Al-Fadlirefused to face an Israeli opponent in the group stage of the World Fencing Championships. This is not the first time Al-Fadli had withdrawn from an international tournament in support of Palestine. In September 2019, he withdrew from games in the Dutch capital Amsterdam, after the lottery had placed him in a group competing with an Israeli player.

READ: Jordan player refuses to face Israeli opponent fencing contest

Link:
Libya national team pulls out of fencing championship to avoid Israel team - Middle East Monitor

The resident representative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Libya, Marc-Andre Franche, said that the program aims to expand its activities in Libya and open branches in many districts and municipalities to implement its tasks and projects that will address several economic, social and environmental issues, adding that the Libyan National Oil Corporation (NOC) and its partner foreign companies are the ideal partner to achieve these goals.

These remarks came during Franches meeting with the Chairman of NOC, Mustafa Sanallah, in order to discuss opportunities for cooperation between the two parties, according to an NOC statement on its Facebook page on Tuesday.

Sanallah reaffirmed that the NOC appreciates the role of the UN program, saying that together with its partners "Repsol, Total, OMV, Econor", it had a distinguished partnership and great cooperation with the UNDP during the past years, during which it implemented many projects in the areas of Acacus Company's operations, including the sectors of water, health, training, maintenance of educational facilities, youth support, and other programs that covered the regions of Al Jabal Al Gharbi, Al Zawiya, Ubari and the surrounding areas.

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UNDP calls on Libyan NOC to assist it in expanding activities nationwide - The Libya Observer

The United States has extended the sanctions imposed on three Libyan individuals in Malta for smuggling and contributing to the destabilization of Libya.

The US Department of Treasury indicated, in a statement, the extension of the sanctions imposed on the Libyan Faisal Al-Wadi, who is on the blacklist on charges of smuggling drugs and Libyan fuel to Malta, in addition to two people associated with him, Musbah Mohammed Wadi and Noureddine Miloud Musbah.

The US Treasury said that competition for control of smuggling routes, oil facilities, and transportation means is a primary driver of the conflict in Libya, depriving the Libyan people of their economic resources.

The renewed sanctions against these individuals are in effect as they date back to August 2020. They freeze any assets of the Libyan individuals in the United States and prevent Americans from doing business with them.

Original post:
US extends sanctions on three Libyans for smuggling fuel to Malta - The Libya Observer

Shahinoor Begum left no stone unturned in the search for her kidnapped son even though everyone told her that there was no hope.

The 45-year-old mother sold her properties and spent around Tk 20 lakh in ransom to have her son released from a Libyan human trafficking gang and then embarked on a journey from her nondescript village in Cumilla to the war-torn Libyan city of Benghazi to find her son Yakub Hossain, aged around 20.

Yakub went missing while he was trying to go to Italy from Libya by taking the perilous boat journey through the Mediterranean. The family didn't know his whereabouts for six months.

"People around me said my son was dead. Some said he got killed. But I refused to believe them. I sold everything we had to bring my son back. I paid about Tk 20 lakh to his captors in four instalments for his release. I still couldn't find him. Then I went to Libya," Shahinoor told this correspondent.

On March 21, the iron-willed woman returned to her village in Debidwar with her son.

Shahinoor said her husband, who also lives in Libya, had two heart attacks after their son went missing.

"It destroyed our financial stability. I spent days crying, not sure what to do. Then I decided to go to Libya," she said.

She first travelled to Dhaka to get a passport and travel documents. "I paid Tk 3 lakh to a travel agent for airfare and other expenses. I boarded a Biman plane on January 8. This was my first trip outside Bangladesh. I was alone. I met a few people who were also travelling to Libya. I stayed in Dubai for a day. From Dubai I went to Egypt where we had a 24-hour transit. Finally, I reached my husband's home in Benghazi.

"After reaching Benghazi, I started contacting people who could speak in Bangla. I told them about my missing son. Seeing me cry, some of them contacted the International Organization for Migration which helped me rescue my son."

Shahinoor said the people of IOMrescued her son after a few days and also arranged a phone call between her and Yakub.

"When I heard my son's voice on the other end, I could not hold my tears. My son was also crying."

But she could not meet Yakub because he was in Tripoli at the time.

"With the help of IOM, my son and I could return home."

On reaching Bangladesh, both of them stayed at Ashkona Hajj Camp until March 21 before they were allowed to go home for a long-cherished happy reunion.

Yakub said he went to Libya on a tourist visa in May 2019 to become a migrant worker. He started working at an oil company in Benghazi for a monthly salary of around Bangladeshi Tk 35,000.

Looking for a better life, Yakub decided to go to Italy illegally at the beginning of last year on the advice of a man named Jahangir. He paid Tk 4 lakh to a broker named Rafiq to go to Italy.

But he was caught by the Libyan Coast Guard and landed in jail along with 300 others, he said.

"Around six months later, I tried to go to Italy again. This time, the human traffickers got hold of us," he said.

"They took our mobile phones, our money, our clothes and everything. We were kept in a small room that resembled a grave for 7 days. There was no light or air. Meals were given 2-3 days a week. They beat us up once a day. They used to beat us with whatever they could find."

The victims were kept in a slaughterhouse where some of the hostages died of starvation, he added.

Shahinoor said, "I will not let my son go anywhere again. I'm forever grateful to IOM for rescuing my son. We also need government support to get back the money that we have paid."

According to the Consular and Welfare Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 902 irregular citizens of Bangladesh have been repatriated from Libya from last September to March this year.

According to IOM sources, 23,601 people from different countries have gone missing in the Mediterranean since 2014.

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A mother's love: Flies to Libya, brings back abducted son - The Daily Star